Royal Fleet Auxiliary strike over pay on 8 and 13 May

RMT members at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) will continue their strike action on Friday 8 and Wednesday 13 May. The dispute is over pay and concerns around compliance with National Minimum Wage legislation.

During the 24-hour strike action, members will continue to ensure the safety of vessels is maintained at all times, including the management of moorings and gangways.

The union says that despite ongoing talks and some progress in negotiations, no acceptable proposal has been tabled by RFA management to address members’ concerns.

The union argues that RFA seafarers can routinely work up to 12 hours a day and more when operational duties demand, often spending months at sea. Yet there remains no clear or transparent formula explaining how pay is calculated against hours worked.

The RMT has also warned that years of below average pay settlements, combined with poor transparency and growing dissatisfaction over conditions, are contributing to retention problems across the service.

General secretary Eddie Dempsey said:

Our members in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary do not take strike action lightly and this decision has only been reached after years of frustration over pay, conditions and a lack of transparency around wages.

These are highly skilled seafarers who play a vital role supporting the Royal Navy in demanding conditions, often working extremely long hours for months at sea.

There remains no clear formula setting out how pay is calculated against the hours actually worked and there are serious concerns that some members’ pay could effectively fall below the legal minimum once those hours are properly accounted for.

The employer has a duty to demonstrate that our members are being paid fairly and lawfully for the work they do.

Our members are proud of the role they perform, but after years of below average pay awards and a failure to properly address these issues, they feel there is no other choice but to take further strike action.

Despite continued discussions, no acceptable offer has been made and unless serious proposals are brought forward, our members remain determined to continue their industrial campaign.

Featured image via the Canary